Apparatus for treating timber.



No. 887,588. PATENTED MAY 12, 1908. R. E. BRIGHT. APPARATUS FOR TREATING TIMBER.

PPLI ATI N r LED JAN. 20 1908. A 0 0 I z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

V fjvg/Ezvrok J? @E- ii '19 I 4 6 I Affomeys WITNESSES R. E. BRIGHT.

PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING TIMBER. APPLIQATION IILBD JAN. 20, 1908.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES fNVE/VTOR ROBERT E. BRIGHT, OF GRENADA, MISSISSIPPI.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING TmBER. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 19(18.

Application filed January 20, 1908. Serial No. 411,708.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known .that 1, ROBERT E. BRIGHT,

, a citizenof the United States, residing at Grenada, in the county of Grenada and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Timber; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art. to which it ap ertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates to "new and useful improvements in apparatus for treating timber and my objectis to provide means for forcing creosote oils, or like preparations through the timber, whereby decaying of the timber will be allayed.

A further object is to provide means for ascertaining the amount of the pre aration or preservative absorbed by the tim er.

A still further object is to provide automatic means for stopping the flow of the .tion.

compression cylinder, and, Fig. 3 1s a secfluirli from the reservoir into the compression tan Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of my inven Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the tional view through the compression tank, showing the automatically-operated valve for stopping the flow of oil from the reservoir into the compression tank.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a reservoir, which is preferably placed at-an altitude and supported in any preferred pressure tank being substantia manner, as by a frame 2. I

Extending from the reservoir 1, 1s a conveying pipe 3, which extends from the reservoir to a pressure tank 4, the upper end of the y in line with or below the lower end of the reservoir, so th'at'the contents. of the reservoir will flow through the conveying pipe ,3 into the presmatically stop the flow of the fluid from the reservoir when thepressure tank has been. artition 5 adjacent the.

filled, I rovide a lowe on of the ta through which extends a re or chain '6, While that portion of the, partition surrounding the rod is provided with ports 7, through which the oil'passes from the pipe 3 on its way into the tank 4. The lower end of the rod 6 has secured thereto a conical valve '8, which, when movedupwardly, closes the ports 7 and prevents the flow of oil into the tank, the upper end of the rod having a float 9 thereon adapted to raise the conical valve when the fluid engages the float, thereby automatically stopping the flow of the fluid from the reservoir to the tank. The tank 4 is supported u on any suitable form of foundation 10, whic if pre ferred, may be constructed of cement and the tank is held in a vertical )osition on the foundation by means of brackets 11.

Located at a suitable distancev from the head 13, and, if it is desired to heat the cylinder during the treating process, a jacket 14 is placed around the cylinder into which steam may be introduced through suitable pipes 15: After the timber has been placed in the cylinder, the fluid from the tank 4 is introduced-into said cylinder through an'eX- tension 16 of the pi e 3, said eXtension communicating with t e conveying pipe at a ointimmediately below the tank 4 and thefluid is prevented from flowing through the extension 16 when the tank 4 is bein filled, by means of a valve 17, while the flui is prevented from flowing through the pi e 3 by means of a valve 18: The amount 0 fluid in.

the tank is readily ascertained by means of pores of the timber, thereby thorough y sat-.

urating the timber with the creosote and this result is accomplished by first opening the valve 18 and allowing the fluid from the reservoir 1 to flow into the tank 4 and, when the tank is properly filled, the. pressure of the fluid on the float 9 will elevate the valve 8 and sto the flow of the fluid from the reservoir, w en the valve 18 is closed. .Air is then compressed into the cylinder 12 and upperend of the pressure tank 4 by means of v in the pipe 22 and a valve 26 in the pipe 23- any suitable formof air compressor 21, the air from the compressor being conveyed, respectively, to the cylinder 12 and upper end of the tank 4 through pipes 22 and 23, the pipe 23 encountering the pipe 22 at any suitable point between-the air compressor and cylinder and, when the air is being forced into the tank and cylinder, valves 24 and 25 are opened. i

The air compressor is kept in operation until the pressure in the clyinder and tank has reached from one to five atmospheres,

when the compressor is stopped and the valve 24 closed, the atmospheric pressure in the cylinder being readily ascertained by means of a gage 27. After the proper atmospheric pressure has been attained, the

I valve 17 is opened, the pressure on the fluid being'thus equalized, so that said will descend and pass into the cylinder 12, while the air in the cylinder will pass through the pipes 22 and 23- into the upper end 'of the tank 4. After the cylinder has beencompletely' filled with fluid, the valves 25 and 26 are closed and the pressure inthe cylinder I increased to from five to fifteen atmospheres,

1 through the medium of a pressure pump 28,

said pump being connected to that portionof the pi e 3 depending from the tanks by means o a pipe 29,- while the pump is con- -nected to the cylinder 12 through the medium of a pipe 30 extending from the pressure pump and into engagement with the extens'ion 16, the connection of the pipe 29 with the pipe 3 and the connection of the pipe 30 with the extension16, being on .opposite sides of the valve 17.

40 I into the cylinder by the pressure ump 28,

' As the fluid in the timber" is absorbed by the timber, a new supply of the fluid is forced the su ply being obtained from t e tank 4 throug the" ipe 29. When the. desired absorption has een reached, the pressure pump 28 is stopped and the valve 31 in the ipe 2 9 closed, after which the valves 24an 25 in the pipe 22 and the valve-17 in the extension 16 opened and the air compressori21 started, which will force the loose oil from the cylinform of vacuum pump 34, said pump being.

ponnected to the pipe 22 by means of a coup- 1 va ve 3-6 to 'cut ofl communication between I 85, which coupling is provided with a used.

the pipe 22 and vacuum pump, when said vacuum pump is not in use.

By forming a vacuum in the cylinder 12, they sur lus 011 is drawn from the timber, as it is on y desired to thoroughly coat the cells of the wood with the fluid and, by retaining the vacuum in the cylinder from one to two hours, the surplus fluid will be thoroughly removed from the timber. When this result has been accom lished, the vacoum pump 34 is stopped and t e valve 36 closed, when the fluid thus separated from the timber is returned to the tank 4 by starting the air com ressor 21 and o ening the valve 24, said flui passing throug the extension 16 and through a return ipe 37,'sa id return pipe being provided Wit a valve '38, which is open during the returning process andclosed as soon as the same is completed. When the surplus fluid has been returned to the tank 4, the air compressor is sto ped and the valve 24 closed, when the va ves 26 and32 are 0 ened and the air in the cylinder re lease( through the. vent-pipe 33. The timher in the cylinder is then ready to be removed and a new supply introduced into the cylinder for treatment and, by making a record of the ga es before and after the fluid has been intro uoed into the timber, the amount of the fluid required to treat the timber, ma" be readily ascertained.

It wili hus be seen that I have provided a very efficient means for thoroughly coating all of the cells of the timber with oil with a medium amount of time and labor and, while I have shown but one cylinder employedin connection with the pressure tank, it will be readily understood that any number of cylinders may be employed in connection with the tank, the operation thereof being substantially the same as when a single cylinder is WhatlI chum is:

An apparatus for treating timber with fluid comprising a reservoir for the fluid, a

pressure tank in communication therewith, a

receptacle to contain timber,means,to convey fluid from the pressure tank to the re-. ceptacle, a pressure pump in communication with the receptacle, a vacuum pump in communication with the receptacle, an air compressor in communication with the receptacle, and means within the pressure tank for controlling the flow of fluid from the reservoir therethrough, all for the purpose set forth. Q i, In testimony whereof I have signed my' name to this specification in the presence ,of two subscribing witnesses.

p ROBERT E. BRIGHT.

" Witnesses: I a

' J.B.WoonsoN,

CL. BENTON. 

